Understanding the basics of real estate before you start buying a home will help you be confident and save a lot of money in the future. Here are ten keywords and phrases to know before searching for a home.
Table of Content
1. Buyer’s Agent vs. Listing Agent
Usually two brokers are involved in buying a property; The “purchase broker” stands for you and the “seller” is the owner of your home. A double agent is when an agent represents both parties and this is illegal in some states.
When you buy a house, you don’t pay your real estate agent – you get a commission from the seller of the house. Choose a broker like Redfin who will refund some of your fees.
2. Fixed Rate vs. Adjustable Rate Mortgages
Traditional loans include fixed-rate and variable-rate mortgages. The interest rate on a fixed-rate mortgage is fixed in advance for the term of the loan, usually 15-30 years. Adjustable-rate mortgages are volatile and usually have a loan term of 5, 7 or 10 years.
A mortgage with a regulated interest rate may make financial sense if you plan to sell or refinance your home before the end of the first loan period, but if you plan to own the home for more than five years, the risk of buying a home is lower. fixed rate. Be sure to shop around to find the best possible mortgage that will save you a lot of money in the long run. Ask your lender, family, and brokers for advice from a lender. You should also use the SME Loan and Tax Calculator to calculate your future monthly mortgage payment when determining the best mortgage rate.
3. Pre-approval Letter
Before applying for a home loan or applying for a home, you must have a confirmation letter from the bank stating approximately the amount they lend you. This letter will help you figure out what you can afford and assure home sellers that you will get a loan when you need it.
When applying for a statement of approval for a mortgage loan, you must have a clear bank offer. Ask them about closing costs, related costs, what you will get from those costs and whether they will block your loan at a certain interest rate. Note e.g. that if you have to compete for an apartment with other listings, a local lender can help. Local lenders want constant recommendations and really care about their reputation; List agents want to deal with them for this reason.
4. Listings
One of the first real estate concepts you will come across is probably what real estate agents often refer to as “listings”. A “listing” on the website shows information about the property such as price and number of bedrooms.
Use real estate sites like Redfin for cutting-edge advertising rather than real estate portals. Brokers have access to the multi directory service, which brokers need to update so that the information can be more accurate than sites that are not affiliated with any brokerage firms. In a competitive real estate market, you can lose a lot if you use sites that aren’t all homes for sale.
5. Title Insurance
Once all negotiations have been completed and the seller has accepted your offer, you should receive a report from the homeowners within a week. For most mortgages, you have to pay for real estate insurance as part of the final cost. Real estate insurance companies look for public documents to ensure that the seller of the home is in fact the owner and that there is no connection to the home (eg unpaid contractor or unpaid taxes).
If you are insured against real estate and lose your home due to a property dispute, your landlord’s policy can compensate you for this damage and help cover the legal costs of the dispute.